The Birds and the ABC's
by Angel K.D
Summary: My little collection of RobRae one shots following the alphabet. Rated for safety, actual ratings vary, pairings vary. Read n Review
1. A

**A/N: **This is the first of many chapters. I'll be doing one word per chapter, following the alphabet. No one challenged me though, I just wanted to do it-call it exercising my writing muscles…and my brain. Ratings will vary, but nothing explicit (though I'll warn you when necessary). I also will let you know if two or more chapters are related okay? Read on!

**A **is for **Aggravate**

Contrary to popular belief, most mornings at the Tower were not quiet. Take a moment to consider that if you put five teenagers under one roof, peace and quiet fly right out the window. But Raven happened to like silence and tranquility, and that was why it was so aggravating.

Cyborg was loud, and everyone knew it. You could see, or rather hear, it in the way he talked, walked, played, etc. Like anyone else he had a serious side, but rarely would you see it outside of battle. No one questioned that but her. And it aggravated her.

Beast Boy was **never** quiet. She didn't think that he'd ever tried before. In fact quite often he sounds more like an animal than human. Grunts, roars, barks, mews, purrs…you name it he did it. She thinks that perhaps the little rat considered himself the comic of their group-though why he would think they needed one was beyond her-and thus took it upon himself to keep the team happy. If that is what you want to call it…it was aggravating…

Starfire was just Starfire. The redhead was always bubbly, enthusiastic, happy, ecstatic, and so forth. Raven didn't do any of the above. Sure they got along, but it was at times incredibly difficult to be around someone who never stopped hollering and laughing. Granted, her tolerance of Starfire was higher than say, her tolerance of Beast Boy's jokes, but it still had the possibility of being aggravating.

Robin was…quiet. The Boy Wonder was dark, mysterious, and silent. Surely it would follow that she could stand him the most out of all her comrades. But she couldn't. Robin aggravated Raven the most. Why?

He didn't yell often, and when he did he had something vitally important to say. Then he'd say it, and that was that. She couldn't recall off hand if Robin had ever had to repeat himself. The team listened to him, and they all trusted his word. Now that she thought about it, he let the others fill in the gaps or come to their own conclusions. He rarely raised his voice, spending most of his time in a brooding silence. All this didn't aggravate her, because she appreciated his **silent** leadership.

He spoke in other ways though. The teen didn't have to open his mouth. Words and emotions were shown in his movements. His eyes, even hidden behind a mask, spelled out pain and love so completely. Every smile and furrow of his brow spoke volumes. The slightest twitch of a muscle told her his mood instantly.

Raven was skilled at empathy. She could read emotions and if she tried, she could pick up on some of the lighter thoughts. She knew Robin. He hid so much from them, from the world, and from himself. And for some reason that deep, mysterious pain called to her. It consumed her being until she was sure she'd die if she didn't find one more piece to the puzzle. Oh, how she loved puzzles. Robin was all she thought about, and that aggravated her.

Okay then. That was more of a challenge that I thought it'd be. Hm. Let me know how I did please, so that I may continue this. Thank you. Peace!


	2. B

Okay, here's the next installment. I guess you really like it! That is a very pleasant surprise I'll have you know. Anyway, below is the original chapter I typed for the theme, as well as a little bonus for one reviewer ;)

**Warnings: **Okay, I guess a lot of the chapters would have spoilers of some kind or another, oops. So if you haven't seen the series and you don't want to know anything until you do, you best not read this. This chapter is T, as it is not explicit but does mentions little tid bits that could be considered by a parent or guardian as suggestive. K?

**Disclaimer: **Crud, I totally forgot to do this in the first chapter. So let's just cover 'em all at once shall we? I DO NOT own the Teen Titans, and they are property of DC Comics. Note: This disclaimer is for all chapters, so if I don't mention it in a future one don't sue me. All I have is chump change and my dog, and you can't have him! '-.- Oy.

Chapter Two: **B** is for **Beauty**

Starfire was beautiful. She had the talents of a warrior, yet the feminine charm of a lovely young princess. Her innocent questions made everyone's heart just melt and her emerald green eyes held all the blind kindness of a pure-hearted child.

He always thought that her red hair made her look like one of the royal ladies out of those fairytale books. Technically though, she was a princess on her planet, so the description fit. She fit the image of a fair maiden to the last detail. She was every man's want and need, love and desire. Why than didn't he want her?

Raven was pretty-not in an obvious way, but more the kind of deep beauty you only saw when you looked _really _hard. She had many talents, but few of them were known. She was a warrior, a prophecy, and sorceress, a daughter, an adopted sister. What she lacked in femininity she made up for a dark, mysterious appeal that every woman wanted but few had.

Her amethyst hair turned lovely lavender in the summer sun, but her cold purple eyes made her unapproachable by anyone who would have the nerve to. Raven was distant, and getting close to her could be potentially fatal because of her volatile powers fueled by emotion, whereas Star was so easy to get close to it was unreal. Both were wonderful friends, in their own way. This team couldn't function without either one of them. But when it came to beauty, everyone thought he belonged with Starfire-the perfect union. So why did he want Raven?

**End of this theme.**

A/N: Well I got a review about this theme and someone said they wanted it to be about boys, so here it is.

Alternative Chapter Two: **B** is for **Boys**

Three girls sat together in the living area of Titans Tower.

The blonde had her hair in curlers with a therapeutic mud-like substance on her face, blue eyes covered with a single slice of cucumber each. Carefully, and blindly might I add, she ran a thin nail file over her fingertips.

The redhead was perched upon the coffee table, holding another's dainty ankle in her hand while she painted in a dark blue color. Long locks were wrapped securely in a plastic cap while her feet sat in a tub of sweet smelling water.

The last girl, with amethyst hair, was more reclined on the couch with a book in hand while her friend gave her a pedicure. Her shoulder length hair had silver foil wrapped around the ends, which crinkled while she absently rubbed skin moisturizer on her neck with one hand.

It was a beautiful day and there was no crime in Jump City that the police couldn't handle, so the girls had the day off it seemed. What better way to spend it than bonding? Terra had come back just over a year ago, thanks to a spell by Raven. And since Raven didn't have to worry about her father, she'd begun to open up more a live a little. That combined with Starfire finally completing high school made for a very different set of girls that was first on the team. But I digress.

It all started when Terra had said something funny about Star, just as the Titan boys came into the room, and Raven had immediately begun to laugh while the alien started flicking nail maintenance tools at them both.

All three boys stopped and stared, not quite used to being exposed to all the nitty-gritty's of female beauty treatments. They were about to back slowly out of the room, remembering what happened last time they'd interrupted "girl time," when Beast Boy decided it would be smart to ask a question…

That was his first mistake.

His second mistake was the actual question. " Hello ladies. What happened here? You're normal, beautiful selves got in a fight with an evil makeup artist and lost?"

There was a stunned silence that filled the air than, where neither side knew what to say, whether for shock or anger. Finally, Robin, being the self-proclaimed alpha male, decided that if BB was suicidal he could at least save the other male member and himself. Letting out an undignified squeak, he grabbed Cyborg's arm and ran like the hounds of hell were nipping at his heels.

When the dust settled, the only guy in the room finally realized that he was the **only **guy in the room, and that three teen girls were giving him a look so ugly he wanted to curl up and cry in horror. He knew there was no escaping them, but he tried to do what he did best-charm the ladies. " Heh, was it something I said?"

More silence filled the room, the tension so thick you could cut it with a knife. The idea of such was even considered briefly by Robin and Cyborg, who were busy hiding in a panic room at the bottom of Titans Tower. They were beginning to think he'd actually live when-

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Apparently not.

Two weeks later, a creature wrapped in a complete body cast twitched as one of his _attackers _sat next to him.

" What's wrong BB? Oh, I guess a cast is a little itchy huh? Well, don't worry-you'll only have to wear if for eight more months. Have fun!" and with that, Terra walked away, giggling slightly at the muttered, "Girls…" she heard behind her.

" How's Beast Boy?" Raven asked her as the blonde entered the dark titan's room. She watched her friend shake a nail polish bottle in her pale hand as she sighed and thought Raven would look good with some braids to match her black-tipped hair.

" Oh you know, still mad. He just doesn't get why his little pick up line was so insulting."

All three girls paused and looked at each other with an understanding so deep it was uncanny.

" Boys…"

**End.**

Okay, I hope you guys like this, I just felt like making two stories. Um, I'm sorry it's rather late, my writer's block wouldn't go away. I'm dealing with a lot right now, most important of all is my friend's recent death. So please, be patient.

_-We miss you already, and we won't ever stop. But we know you're with God and safe, so our tears are both sad and happy as we await the day that we see you again. Until then J.R., R.I.P._


	3. C

**A/N: **Yes, it has been forever and a day. Or nearly. Know that I am here now and I'm going to try to complete this thing as soon as possible. Granted I have other more important duties like the TotC fic and my blog, but I do plan to eventually finish all that I have started. Anywho, enjoy.

~~~  
C is for Compliment

The bay was clear, yet hot. All over the city, one could see the steam coming up from the pavement with the slightest of water, making everything distorted in this miserable weather.

Jump City's protectors were no exception. Though they had air conditioning in the tower, outside they were exposed to the sweltering heat wave. Whenever that blasted alarm rang out, each one of the Titans groaned in turn. Apparently criminals didn't care much for letting the heroes sit in comfort all day.

Seriously though, that alarm was in grave danger of getting a sonic cannon blast, star bolt, bird-a-rang, or animal paw taken to it. Raven herself had given up on getting angry at a simple inanimate object. Besides, she doubted her irritation would stop at just the alarm system, so that meant the whole building would end up being transported to an alternate dimension. It was so not worth the effort of getting everyone and everything back.

Regardless, they sighed in pleasure as they finally gathered again in the living room of the tower, right under the vents that blew out the refreshing air. I think there was an instant halt in breath when the air stopped. Silence reigned.

Slowly, Robin got up and checked the knob. Yes, it was showed to be working. It hadn't fallen off. Yet when he looked at the screen that usually reported the room temperature and the desired temperature, it was blank. No reading. Which meant no air conditioner.

"What in the name of Kitten-?" he asked.

Well, it was better than using the Lord's name if vane. Thankfully Starfire wasn't dating him, but rather Speedy. Otherwise that comment would have gotten him a rotten look and maybe a bruise or two.

All the other Titans, as it were, guessed what the problem was. No other time than that had all of them decided to work so cohesively, so quickly, and so desperately.

"I'll check the control system down in the garage. Maybe something mucked up the converter."

" I shall go all to all the vent openings and make sure there was no tampering of them."

" Dude, I'll take a look inside the vents. Maybe something got stuck in there, blocking the air."

Before they knew it, Robin and Raven were the only two in the room. Robin looked at his girlfriend. " Well, I guess that just leaves the system on top of the Tower…"

The sorceress gave him a piercing look. " And how convenient of your team to take all the other jobs except this one, which actually involves the heat. Of all the times you assert your authority, you couldn't do it to choose your mission?"

Robin sighed and started for the doors to get to the lift. " Come on Raven."

She too sighed, this much more dramatic as she put her cool glass of water with ice down on the table to follow him.

~~~Change Scene~~~

" But my ice, it's going to melt."

Robin set his jaw, looking away from her with irritation written plainly on his face. It was more apparent as of late that Raven was a faithful cynic. And even after pulling her through the whole ordeal with Trigon because they had both believed tomorrow would come, she had fallen back to her old habits. He knew he hadn't been just imagining the hope and optimism in her eyes as the little girl down in the depths of earth. Sometimes the boy wished she would have as much faith in him as she did then.

" Raven," he started. " Look, I can't help but notice that your outlook on life is worse than usual. I mean, when you came her you were sarcastic and grime, but I thought you grew out of that. Why are you so negative all the time?"

The girl wrinkled her nose. " What do you mean? How am I negative exactly?"

Uh oh, she was trying to trap him. Usually Robin was smart enough to just avoid words like exactly because that's how she took it. Exactly. He chose his next words carefully.

" Okay, for example lets look at our relationship and your relationship with the team. You never have anything good to say about me, only degrading comments and insults. You never praise any of us for going out of our way to make you happy anymore, not even a thank you. You know Raven, to have friends and get people to care about you, you have to show that you care as well."

The silence was heavy in the small elevator. Robin could tell that she was at least thinking things over in her head, so he let her be.

When they got to the roof, he opened the shed where they kept simple things like ladders. Setting it up against the small platform the air conditioner monitor rested on, he asked her to hold the ladder. He didn't really know what he was doing, but he was at least mechanically inclined to an extent. After all, this wasn't the T-Car, so there wasn't a lot Raven could do.

He'd just started looking at it when he heard his lover ask, " So, if I start showing a little more appreciation for people and things they do, is that a good enough start?"

Turning to look down at her, he smiled. " Yeah, that's a good start. We can work on the rest later."

She turned her thoughts inward, and tried to recall all the times when Robin had complimented her. What had he showed appreciation for?

Above, Robin had just found the short that had cause the air conditioner to fail when he heard Raven's soft voice drift up. " Nice ass."

…Well, he figured, it _was_ a start…

~~~  
End

Well, what do you think? Not as short as I planned on, but I really wanted to turn it out correctly. Besides, no one ever said it had to been a few paragraphs long. Since its just a harmless little one shot, isn't that enough? Anywho, review and pray I come up with the time/inspiration to do more. Toodles.


	4. D

**A/N:** Hm, is starting on another chapter so quickly a good omen or bad one? Oh well, time will tell I suppose, so enjoy!

D is for Damsel

Raven was well aware that she was considered part of the family. This was a good thing, as she had long ago decided over a cup of good tea. Everyone cared for her, and showed her the kind of love and understanding that only a true family could. Granted is was unorthodox and annoying at times, as well as loud and crazy, she would trade her family never.

She was also aware of what the resident male Titans thought of her. Well, mostly. It wasn't so nearly difficult to figure out that Star thought of her as a sister and "girlfriend" to share secrets with. The boys however varied in their opinion of her.

She knew that Cyborg considered her a sister as well, but a younger sibling not so much to share secrets with as to protect. Whether it was her honor or life, she mused, he was always there for her to defend her and save the day. She could probably never fully express just what he meant to her.

Beastboy thought of her as a good friend. Though she struggled daily to remember it would be wrong of her to strangle him for his lame jokes and annoying habits, in her heart of hearts she liked his ability to stay light when the others were too worried about petty stuff. Unless the petty problem involved video games, pizza, or meat eaters. Then it was on.

Robin was different from the other two boys. Well, as things were they were well on their way to becoming men. Robin especially, as he was always so serious and mature to begin with. She wasn't sure what Robin thought of her beyond a friend. He was always the one to understand her when the others couldn't. Of them all, she felt Robin could cope with her darkness the best, as he had plenty of his own. He might have been protective of her a few times.

There was the incident when Beastboy was turning into that creature that was more beast than man. Starfire had later told her how heroic it was that he'd defended her so valiantly, though Star had watched over her too.

In a way, she felt blessed to have him in her life, no matter what he felt for her.

Raven herself already knew how she felt about him. No sibling affection could affect her as deeply as she was affected. Her heart nearly burst each time she saw him in danger, and her senses drove her crazy whenever he was in distress.

She could still recall the gut-wrenching feeling of unfounded betrayal when he'd announced that he and Starfire were to marry. June, was it?

That night she had gone into Nevermore, finding Intelligence and making her lead the way to the archives her memories were stored in. She'd spent hours upon hours searching through all the instances when he had saved her, making her fall just a little bit deeper in love with him. She even took the time to probe a few memories of her fellow teammates. They had showed her the things she missed, while whether gone or unconscious, and that just made her ache more when she realized he'd done all that for someone he didn't care about, because she could see just how much more he'd done for Starfire.

Thankfully the fire had dimmed into a dull simmer that would last for a long while. She would always wonder if there was something she could have done differently to make him care for her. She would always compare the whole of herself to Starfire, trying to find what the alien had that she didn't.

And if on some occasions a battle came along and she was hit, that was okay. Because she was sure Robin would always be around to catch her. He would save any damsel, and for just that brief time Raven could pretend her prince had come to rescue her.

~~~  
End

Okay, there. Review I say, now!


	5. E

**A/N:** I am incredibly irritated right now. I uploading the F chapter, and then realized that I never uploaded the E chapter, which I DELETED because I already thought that I had it. Oh I could just beat the crap out of myself. Okay, here it is.

**E** is for **Evil**

The café was modern in fashion and very comfortable. There were wide bay windows all around the seating area but with the chocolate brown shades covering half of them, the lighting was comfortable. Brown leather seats adorned the two sofas in the corner, the booths, and the individual chairs.

Raven herself sat in one of those, with her foot gently resting on the bar entrusted with that purpose and her upper half leaning onto the small black wooden table. Though not big enough for a full meal and setting, it suited her just fine, as all she need in front on her was her tea. As of late, she'd been experimenting with many different flavors that she otherwise not might have tried. Her current obsession was blueberry tea, and the steam rose in the air in this chilled environment.

The empath watched people both inside and outside the café mill about and continue with their daily lives. She herself might have just as well been another spectator had it not been for the odd wardrobe she sported or the Titan's communicator clipped to her belt. But really, what was the fun of looking like everyone else?

She sighed though, for there were things that made her very different from even her fellow superheroes. Heh, superhero wasn't really appropriate for her. She was born of darkness. She was darkness inside and out.

Some would argue with her. Robin would say with absolute certainty that she had hope, and light. She let her mind wonder back a fortnight, when the alarm had sounded and alerted the team to Slade's presence downtown.

~~~Chance Scene~~~

The skyline flew by in a blur. She saw office lights flashing in and out of her peripheral vision as the team and herself made their was to the by now closed mall. To her left, Beast Boy in hawk form raced beside her, and Starfire flew to her right. Below them, Cyborg was driving the T-Car with a fierce determination. The roar of a motorcycle echoed throughout the city, and all three of the air born Titans looked down at the same time.

Of all of them, this burden laid most heavily on Robin. Their leader took it hardest when Slade got away or injured them. Like a personal vendetta, he sought Slade blindly. Raven made a note to watch him carefully.

The second the mall came into sight, so did Slade. The madman stood on the tallest part of the structure, as if he'd been waiting for them. But this was Slade, and nothing he did was short of deliberate.

In the moonlight, the battle started. From the very beginning Raven could see that he was toying with them. It wasn't a matter of stopping Slade, it was figuring out what he wanted to gain from this little exchange. At one point, the empath stood in front of him, where as all the other Titans had been thrown off. First to recover, she chanted her words, only to have them freeze in her throat when he whispered, " You're father sends his love little Raven."

Time stopped as those words played repeatedly in her head, as if her mind's record had broken. Her memory from her father's near win so fresh in her mind, she had no control over herself as rage came to the surface and her eyes turned to white.

Power flooded her and she wrapped Slade in it, whose eyes widened in slight alarm. With all her might, she threw him from her. His body flew through the air and he might have recovered a landing had her power dissimilated. But it did not, and the force of it slammed him into the beam of a scaffold that stood some several hundred yards away.

Hot on his tail, Raven landed in front of him and bound him more tightly with her black energy. Slade felt it crushing his lungs slowly but surely. Raven slammed him against an east-facing wall, hearing only a grunt. Unsatisfied, she applied more force and directed him to three beams connected to the entire structure. This time the sickening crack of bones rang out and he cried out in pain. Rage used her lips to smile.

Inside her mind, the true Raven fought for control. She knew allowing rage to fight in battle was wrong, but this was Slade. That automatically blew away everything about what was right and wrong in the way of treating bad guys.

But what would happen to the team, and to the world, if her dark side was let loose? It could be worse than Trigon…

Raven's dark energy took on the shape of clawed hands to hold Slade as she levitated over him. Red eyes were truly intimidating, and the madman had trouble meeting her gaze. " I see my father's anger has not escaped your memory."

The silence between them was deafening, and for a minute she might have felt less of herself for bringing it up. But after all that he'd done to them, Rage had no qualms about it. Leaning close, she whispered to him. " Never dare to mention my mother again. You're pathetic, and nothing but a tool for the darkness. My father might well rise again, but I will always be here to stop him. And you will always be what you are now-a rotting corpse with a hopeless vision of becoming human again. Rest assured Slade, if you cross me again, my father's wrath will look like Heaven when I am done."

Just like that, she dropped him. Slade hit the ground with a thud, with barely enough strength left to lift himself up. His eyes held a hint of anguish, and torment. Her words had hit harder than ever before. But anger also coursed through him.

~~~Change Scene~~~

The waitress offered a free refill on her tea, which was a perk of being a regular as well as a superhero. Raven nodded to affirm it while the woman also took the empty coffee cup next to her mug.

Robin looked at her with a small smile, probably guessing where her thoughts had been. Covering her hand with his, he looked into her eyes to make sure she knew the truth of what he was saying. " We'll always be here for you Rae."

A ghost of a smile played on her lips, and she nodded. " I know Robin. I haven't forgotten my blessings."

As they sipped their newly refilled drinks, they were well aware of the future that lay ahead. It would be hard, and the battle would be long and bloody. But they were a team. Though no longer the Teen Titans, they were still the Titans, and they would always stand up for the city.

The darkness in the back of her mind would have liked to be heard, but Raven put it away for now. She was here, in this café, and enjoying a drink with her soul mate. Those voices had no standing here. So as the sunlight hit her hand from behind the screen, the words faded into resonance and into abyss.

Remember little Raven; you will always be a part of the darkness. I will see you soon, daughter.

~~~End~~~

Okay, so there it is. Sorry it was so late. Had I not been a complete moron, you would have been able to enjoy it sooner, but oh well. Review please!


	6. F

**A/N: **Boy its been a while. Lets see. I'm making some progress, though I'm stalled on the next chapter of the TotC fic. I'm working on it. Also, feel free to start a story from any of the chapters. I don't mind, as long as you state where you got the idea. It would only be polite after all. Besides, some of these starts seem to deserve a finish wouldn't you say? Enjoy.

~~~  
F is for Fantasy

There were those who thought that the darkness never bothered Raven. Since she was obviously so dark and "creepy" than all things dark and creepy would be right up her alley.

In reality though, she was a lot like everyone else. She'd never admit it but she was. The shadows and what they could hold made her slightly fearful, just like the monsters they constantly fought made her jump awake in the night. The empath just had a better poker face. No one could see the fear in her eyes, and she would make sure it stayed that way.

When she was at her most thoughtful, like now, she lamented that it wasn't natural to fear the dark. She was after all born in darkness. Her sire was a demon for Azar's sake. But her mother's side was of the light as far as she could tell. Perhaps her resistance to the dark and evil of the world wasn't entirely unnatural.

As she stood on top of Titans Tower, she thought back to when she had actually let the darkness win. Her gaze watched the sunset without recognition as to what she was looking at as she reflected back.

~~~Change Scene~~~

When she had lost the battle with her father, she'd let the light inside die away. The runes had come off of her skin and the flash of light blinded her. It seemed both an eternity and but a few seconds before she opened her eyes again. When she finally did, she gasped.

Whatever she'd been expecting of the world beyond death it wasn't this. It wasn't her.

A little girl too small for her age stood there, leaning against a crumbling stone pillar. Amethyst eyes were open wide in fear. Short purple hair glinted in the light of what looked like hell's fires. She world white robes, seemingly symbolizing purity. But it was her eyes that Raven found herself staring at. They were so innocent… How long had it been since her eyes were such a pure, untainted shade of lavender?

Raven watched this girl, floating above her in whatever spirit form it seemed she'd been given. She wasn't sure of anything right now, like how to control it or how to stop this vision, if that was what it was. Was it real? Was she the vision? But nobody could see her.

The empath lost all track of time. Seconds, minutes, and hours ceased to matter. In what looked like the ruins of a church, she watched the girl-the little Raven-wonder around. Little Raven ran her fingers along the benches, stooped to pick up little pieces of glass, and held the stained object above her. In the light of the depths, it was beautiful to Raven. It seemed this little Raven agreed.

It wasn't until she heard a familiar voice that time caught up with her. It was Robin, the one that had held her heart captive for such a long time. It came back to her, what he'd done before she'd ascended…or descended. He'd grabbed her hand. In his eyes, she could almost see salvation. But this was Trigon, and there was no way they could win against Trigon.

The masked teen looked weary. Sweat dripped from his brow, and there were numerous tears in his uniform. Raven glanced at the sword in his hands. Why was he here?

When Robin saw Little Raven, he tried to reach out to her. To talk to her. She ran from him before she could hear any of it. Raven felt a tug than, not just within herself but also from another source. As Little Raven ran she could feel a heavy thumping in her chest as though she were running also.

She followed them closely, capturing in her mind everything Robin said. She memorized all the minor details about it. From the sweat dampening his hair, to the blood slowly seeping down his front from the many cuts, to the way he bit his bottom lip as he struggled to keep up with the little girl, nothing escaped her interested and watchful eyes.

Finally cornered, Little Raven stared at him in fear. What was she afraid of-Robin or the fact that she would have to face reality? Raven wasn't sure herself. She didn't want to go back, so why should Little Raven? Why couldn't they spend an eternity in hell, staring at the engravings and scratches on the ruins and looking at the fire through stained glass?

When Robin convinced the girl to give him her hand, Raven felt a painful longing. Why couldn't he have offered her his hand before all this? There was just no hope for a second chance. But as Little Raven climbed on his back and they started the journey back, she had to wonder if they could manage to win. What then?

The climb to the surface of earth was tedious, and Raven felt bad that she could float while Robin had to carry his precious cargo on his back. And later, when she saw her likeness falling, it was with awe that she saw Robin dive after her. Even as he caught her, Raven questioned not his heroism but his motives. He cared for Starfire, if she remembered correctly. Was he rescuing her because of some lingering loyalty to the team? If so, they should have counted her dead and not bothered.

Raven knew nothing of what would happen in the future. The uncertainty of Little Raven and the determination of Robin was all she could feel. This was her present. The past leaked into her mind, giving her memories back. Even as they came, she tried to push them back. Trigon could not be beaten…or could he?

Robin seemed to think so. He looked like he fully believed it. In the face of such optimism, Little Raven couldn't help but start to believe too. Such was the joy of being a child. You could always believe there was a better world or alternative waiting for you.

For her, it seemed that Robin had had her heart for so long. It'd been years in fact, in spite of everything that told her she shouldn't care for it. All of her emotions, especially Intelligence, counseled her against it. Rage pointed out cruelly that if he had a woman like Star, what would he want with the runt of the proverbial litter like Raven?

A girl could dream though, and countless times she had. She liked to lie in bed at night and wonder what it would be like to fall asleep with Robin slumbering next to her. The sorceress imagined what his kisses would feel like, and how it might feel to be held in his arms. Though such thoughts were dangerous to entertain, she found she could without fear of her powers lashing out as long as she intensely meditated beforehand. A few times, she'd even considered what their life might turn out like if they actually got together.

Would they have children? Would she be able to control her powers during the hormone-wracking pregnancy? She thought of what she would want to name her first child. Being the empath that she was, she was fairly certain she would have a daughter first. In fact, Raven thought that if she had a choice, she'd want to have a girl like this Little Raven who was so sweet, innocent and trusting.

What sort of father would Robin make? The team would probably find out someday, after he married Starfire. This is, if the team was still together by then. Nothing could be counted on these days; she'd come to learn.

It was pointless to dream of such things anyway. The weight of the world rested on the shoulders of a little girl with amethyst eyes and lavender hair. This girl was smudged with dirt on her cheeks and hands, and her white boots were scuffed. Tears had made track through the grim on her face and fear still largely dominated her gaze. How could such a timid creature possibly be strong enough to save to world?

Raven decided than that any future was uncertain. Much more so than ever before, but she continued to follow the pair. The ruins and the lava sank back into the distant depths, never to be seen again outside of dreams. The stained glass Little Raven had held to the light lay shattered on the ground where she'd dropped it after hearing Robin. Hopefully, the world would be in better shape come the dawn.

~~~End~~~

Okay, I was going to put this whole happy ending there, but I realized that not every story needs one. Also, I thought this was long enough. I know there are the one shots out there several times longer, but I thought it best to leave things while they were decent. If you're looking for music to listen to, Within Temptation, Evanescence, and Nightwish set a pretty good tone for this one. That's what I listened to while writing it. Thank God for ;). I'll get started on the next chapter soon. Later.


	7. G

Wow. Haven't written in such a long time. And going back, I can see all the mistakes I've made (especially spelling). Oh well, one day I might go back and fix it. Until then, let's get started on this thing. Enjoy!

G is for Gorbginda

When their lips had first met, Raven had practically exploded with passion. Her senses were on fire, and her emotions for once were all silent. They agreed that Robin kissing her was the best thing to happen to them-her. In fact they all conspired against her, leaning on her mind until she followed their will, kissing Robin back with lust and pressing herself against him. Later she would reflect that she looked like a week damsel but for now, all she knew was the content feeling of being in his arms.

When their lips first met, it was daytime. Her room was lit up with sunlight after she opened the black curtains to let it in. And of course, as fate decrees, Robin had been in such a hurry to get in here to "talk" to her that he'd left her bedroom door unlocked.

So when Starfire, being of young and naive spirit, thought to find her friend Raven, who'd been keeping to herself lately, she happened upon the door in it's unlocked state. And of course she'd never thought that her friend would mind her coming in. They were both women so it wasn't like they could get embarassed if Star walked in during an inopportune time. The most she'd caught Raven doing is getting dressed. Well, there was that one time that she'd come in and Raven had been sleeping. She had even stopped her friend from having a nightmare, as the sorceress had been shoving a creature away from her hips area. Raven had been embarassed that she was caught acting out, but had expressed gratitude that her friend had saved her from the "creature of her mares of night".

So as she opened the door and stepped into Raven's room, she would have never expected that she would see her best friend and her almost boyfriend locked together, pressing their lips into each others and moaning. She had never seen Raven even look at a boy after Malchior had broken her heart, and she'd never seen Robin act so...so...rough.

Whenever they had kissed, or rounded the fool as Robin said, he was always gentle with her. Stroking her hair and planting gentle smooches with his lips on her cheeks, forehead, and mouth. He held her as if she would break or run from him. The way he held her friend was much different.

His fingers made a fist in her purple hair. The rest of his arm was firmly around her shoulder. His other arm was wound around her waist, his hand fisting her leotard and pulling her so tight against him Starfire wondered if the other girl could breath. Raven legs were pushing her body as close as possible to him, and her hands couldn't decide whether they wanted to run through his hair or make their way under his clothing, half clawing at his skin as they ground their pelvises together. They were both moaning and sighing, and things were quickly becoming more frenzied. Starfire found herself holding back a gasp as Robin pulled back just long enough to bite Raven's bottom lip before delving back into her.

Quietly but as quickly as she could she back out of the room and pressed the button to shut the door. Both birds heard the whoosh of the automatic steel sliding into place but they didn't connect the sound to the object until much later. They were too busy taking their clothes off to care.

Star walked down the corridor, her mind a complete jumble. Robin looked as if he never wanted to let friend Raven go-that he would not, and that if she ran from him he would find her again. He looked like he was falling and she was the only one who could hold him up. He had never once looked at her like that. He had never touched her with such...such...

"Gorbginda." She finished, just as the doors to the main room opened before her. Cyborg and Beast Boy turned to her, the flashing screen before them telling her the game was very much over.

"Um...what was that Star?" the changling asked.

"Yeah, you look down. What's up?"

The Tamaranian sighed, flying over to the couch so that she could sit with her friends, seeking comfort. "Friends, I have just seen something that is...very upsetting. I have seen friends who have some much of the gorbginda that I feel it would not be right for me to say something that might possibly cause them to not like each other, also bringing down upon me the Curse of the Torn Gorb's. But at the same time my heart hurts and I do not know if I can keep up the deception that I know nothing of their deception, and-"

"Woah Star! Okay, so..." Cy tried to get his head around what she was saying. "So you have friends that have something and they've been lying about it?" Cyborg and Beast Boy shared a look, not sure where this was going.

Star began nodding, glad they understood her. "Yes, it is-well...it is friends Raven and Robin. They have the gorbginda together and it would be horrible of me to know that I caused their unhappiness if I-"

"IT'S WHO?"

"Um..."

"Okay Star," Cy said, taking a deep breath," Start at the beginning."

"Okay. I went in search of friend Raven. I found her in her room. But Robin was also in there, and they were doing a lot of the smooching that is so popular on earth. And-" at this point the girl failed to notice the expressions of shock on her friend's faces. " -they were rubbing against each other, like the baby cats on the channel of discovery that I have seen and love. And they were making the sounds as if they were pain, and I do believe I saw Robin try to hold her up by grabbing the posterior of her being but I cannot be sure-" and she told them the whole story, not noticing Beast Boy's eyes popping out or his drool announcing his overload, not Cyborg's twitches and the almost-silent beep of his system threatening a forced restart.

"-so I know that I cannot come between them because of the gorb-" she paused when Cy raised his finger, beseaching the floor for a moment.

"Um, what is gorbwhatsit?"

"Gorbginda. It is the connection of lovers that is immortalized on our plannet by two true loves whom were doomed never to see each other again because their pet balocktogs did not like to share the same room. It is a very popular story in our culture, and to come between them is to be the chef in the story. He had run out of meat and cooked on the the balocktogs. From then on, the maiden and her companion cried forever, eventually creating the River of Gorbgin. It is very revered amongst my people. Anyway, you cannot come between them for they share such a connection. " She finished, smiled just a little.

Beast Boy shook his head, getting rid of the vacant expression and standing up with a determined look. "Okay," he said, " I don't care what connection they have. I'm going to find out the truth, and if it's really like that then I'm telling Robin what for." He made his way for the door to do just that.

Starfire gasped in horror, rushing over to snag him with her superior strength and haul him back to the couch. "No! You mustn't!"

"And why not?!"

"Because, if you interupt the ceremony of Gorbginda and the subsequent Lazbool then you will doom us all."

"...what is laz...?"

Starfire blushed, looking quite sheepish. "Well," she began, "It was first explained to me when I was quite young. You see, it is..." She dropped her voice to barely a whisper, making the others lean in to hear her, " When a young Tamaranian male engages in Lazbool, he must first remove his armor. Then he must ask the female to lay down while he grabs his Pladvork and puts it-"

That day, Cyborg and Beast Boy learned about the Tamaranian birds and blaznits, and all about Starfire's interpretation of the entire process. Beast Boy actually had a small panic attack, and Cyborg might've froze up for a few minutes there, but no one was counting.

In Raven's room, the dark bird and Robin were laying in bed together, snuggling close and talking quietly. They'd made love and found it to be the most incredible experience of their lives. They had no idea what was going on without them, and would only find out when they went down for dinner later. Starfire would greet them and present them a box of condoms with a bowl of Tamaranian Gorbginda's Stew, and the changling and the robotic man would snicker while every window on the upper levels began to crack more and more as Starfire explained to them the splendid history of the Gorbginda's friends, who must aid in keeping the true loves together until there was proof of the Lazbool presenting at dinner over the stew.

The moral of the story: lock your door.

... . .write.? I have no idea. Um, review?


	8. H

So I'm trying to stick with this creative flow I've got going. FYI, I'm using Wordpad. The computer I have doesn't have Word on it yet. Let me know if there's any way for me to improve my work's appearance. Also, let me know of any spelling errors. I didn't have efficient spellcheck. Thanks and enjoy!

**H **is for **Hole**

There were a lot of things she thought about late at night, when the others were asleep and the world was at rest for the most part. She was always up at night anyway. It was not only the thoughts but the feelings of anxiety and fear that coursed through her. She couldn't truly rest, sleep, or be at peace unless she was meditating. If she dared to loosen the extreme control she had on her emotions and mind, they would run free and pull her with them.

She saw her father the most. Oh how she hated him. For him and him alone, she would consider letting Rage out to end him if he were to ever pop up again. Slade kept second place but was still nothing compared to Trigon. She was sure she'd never come to forgive him nor forget him. How could she, when he'd been the most prominent part of her life since the day of her birth?

She also thought of the events of the end of the world. Robin had come to save her, and lead her back to herself. And the others had stuck by her side despite the terror she'd wrought upon the world. They were truly there for her, and she would never forget that.

Her thoughts shifted back to Robin, their indominable leader. He was admired by many because of his strength, skill, determination, good looks, and enigmatic personality. Everyone wanted to know what was under the mask. She was the only one who really knew. She knew everything, because she'd seen it in his mind. And he knew that.

Their bond wasn't as strong as one might think. Whether consciously or subconsciously he'd blocked her thoughts and feelings from reaching him. If he hadn't, she was sure she would've seen a response from him at some of them by now. She could just barely read him. Strong emotions or memories set the frazzled ties between them to singing. She just wished that it bothered him more.

Before she'd given up and sacrificed herself, bringing Trigon forward, he'd held her hand. He'd hugged her afterwards. He'd smiled at her with such warmth that she thought surely he cared for her. Maybe it wasn't love but it was something more then friendship would surely allow. So she'd stayed in the shadows and waited, hoping that one day soon he would walk to her and tell her that he loved her. But he never did. Instead, he knealed in the rain with another girl who was so much better then her, and kissed her. And he never had the decentcy, the heart, to say something to her after that.

So the dark girl, the one no one had ever really loved before, remained that way. She stayed in the shadows and kept a careful watch, seeing every one of her friends happy but not her. She kept her distance emotionally and went back to being the cruel, sarcastic, cynical empath she had been. This time, no one noticed. Beast Boy had Terra, Cyborg and Bumble Bee, and Robin had Starfire. There was no one left to care about what happened to her, even if it was herself.

Each night she went to her room, breathing in the cool incense-scented air and breaking down in tears. Sometimes the flow was slow starting. Other times she had to run the last small distance to get behind the door before the weathering sobs took hold. It was always painful. It was always hopeless. A hot shower would follow and then bed, where the pillow would take her tears and whispered confessions faithfully, never telling a soul.

Her mind would drift, remembering every single moment with Robin. She was in too deep. Even Inteligence didn't know what to do. They were in a no-win situation. They would just have to accept that.

And every morning she would crawl out of bed, having not slept hardly a wink and then repeat everything all over again. She was going through the motions, and the vinear was starting to crack. Each day got harder, and each night got longer. Especially when he would smile at her in the mornings, or say goodnight in that hypnotic voice of his, and it would rip her apart because he was going to go to bed with Starfire.

She would burrow into her bed, cold and alone. He would have a warm, sweet body to cuddle. The make love to. She would have nothing but the blankets and her own arms, and Starfire would have his strong arms to protect her from all harm. She would cry and hear the silence start to drive her to the edge. It would rain if she was lucky, and soothe her. Starfire would have his sweet nothings to fall asleep to. Delicate shushes that would comfort her no matter what. It wasn't fair.

And that's just it. There is no fair in life. Nothing is guaranteed. So she supposed, she was doomed to remember that of everything that happened, it was her fault. She should've said something, or done something differently. It wasn't fair, but it was at the same time. She just hadn't taken the chance to let her heart open fast enough to the boy who stole it.

It was bound to come to an end someday. The pain, the smiles, the fake happiness, the loss, the tears, the laughter of the happy couple. It would be over someday. She would stop seeing their kiss in her mind, and she would know peace. Someday...couldn't come fast enough. And until someday could come, she would have a hold in her heart that no one could fill.

So I have no idea what I've written really. It seems a little depressing to me but like I said before I'm going with the flow. Thanks and please review, I need a pick me up. Out.


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